NOtwithstanding the many good and wholesome Lawes, and Statutes, made and prouided for the true making of Cloth, of late times many and great abuses haue crept into that Manufacture: for remedie whereof, His Maiestie did by his Commission vnder the great Seale of England, bearing date the fourteenth day of De­cember, in the sixth yeere of His Reigne, directed vnto Commissio­ners therein named, appoint them to call vpon the Iustices of Peace, and other head Officers within the Counties of Wilts', Glou­cester, Somerset, and Oxon', and to assist them in the performance of the seuerall trusts in them by the Statutes concerning Draperie reposed, which Commission hath beene in executing by the space of two yeeres past. And it appeareth by the account thereof giuen to His Highnesse, and His Priuy Councell, that by reason of some doubts made concerning some points, & clau­ses of the said Statutes, (as they are by some interpreted) the same seeme to be deficient for the effectuall reformation of Clothing. His Maiestie intending, that the Cloth of this kingdome may regaine its ancient reputation beyond the Seas, whereby it may be the more readily re­ceiued and vented in those parts, which cannot bee so well done, as by the true working and making thereof; Hath by the aduice of His Priuie Councell, resolued to renew His said Com­mission, with supply of such defects as are found therein, and by iust and equall ordinances and constitutions, to supply some defects and omissions in the said Statutes, to preuent frauds and deceits vsed in Drapery; which in time, if preuention be not made, may bring disesteeme [Page 2]vpon the Clothes of this Realme, and decay of Draperie, by which a great number of His Maie­sties people haue their liuelihood, which by His Regall power He commandeth to be duly obser­ued vntill the end of the first Session of the next Parliament: And then vpon triall of their effects to be made into a Statute law, as hath heretofore in the like case beene vsed and done, or other­wise altered, as shall be then found conuenient.

First therefore His Highnesse will and pleasure is, that no Woolls be boyled with Galles, vn­lesse they be first made blue with woad or Indico, according as the sadnesse of the colour intended to be made will beare in blue. And that such as after the first day of August next shall spinne any yearne to sel in the market, or for the Cloth-maker in any of the Counties of Oxon' Wilts' Gloucest' & the county of the Citie of Gloucest' or the Easterne limits of the County of Somerset shall make the same in skeynes vpon reeles that shall be all of assize, so as euery reele shall be of two yardes, or one yard, and of no other assize, and shall be of equall widenes in all the parts thereof where the yearne shall bee reeled. And that euery Weauer shall to euery Cloth that hee shall weaue, set the first two letters of his name of Baptisme and Surname, or at the least the first letter of his Sur­name, and no other marke, And that the Weauer shal redeliuer vnto the Clothier, the thrummes, knots and ends, & all yearne not wouen into the Cloth, and the Clothier shall take in the same thrummes ends and knots, at such price as others will giue for the same, because vnder colour of buying thrummes and such like of the Weauer, the Clothier is robbed of much yearne. And whereas Tuckers and Clothiers doe now vse stone weights for weighing of their Cloth, which being of no certaine contents, because they cannot bee sealed, cause much deceit, His Highnesse pleasure is, and Hee doth hereby command all Tuckers and Clothiers whatsoeuer, where any Cloth is to bee sealed, That they and euery of them before the foure and twentieth day of Iune next, prouide leaden weights, or brasse weights of Auers du poys lawfully sealed, and that the Clothiers, Searchers and Ouerseers vse those and no other in weighing any Cloth.

And Whereas in diuers places where coloured clothes are milled and dressed, there bee sundry Rackes or Tenters vsed with the lower Barre, which is lawfull to bee vsed for coloured and dressed Clothes, vnder colour whereof the white Clothes are also often strained with the lower barre, contrary to the Statute made in this behalfe in the three and fourtieth yeere of the raigne of the late Queene Elizabeth, For the auoyding of this abuse, His Highnesse Commandeth that there shall bee no White Cloth hanged vpon any Racke or Tenter that hath two Barres, al­though it hang but by one List onely, but that all White Clothes shall bee hanged vpon such Tenters as haue but one Barre, to wit, aboue, and no lower Barre.

And whereas by the Statute made in the fift and sixt yeeres of the Reigne of the late King Ed­ward the sixth, the vse of Gigmills is forbidden vnder a great penaltie, and yet of late time the same Milles are vsed vnder the name of Mosingmills, wherein the Cloth being stretched, is wrought with the Teazell in the Mill, vpon colour and pretence that they being well vsed may be commodious for Clothing: It is His Highnesse Pleasure and expresse Commandement, That forasmuch as the danger of the abuse is farre greater then the benefit of such toleration can bee; All Mosingmills and Mills by which Clothes may be wrought with the Teazell, of what name soeuer, shall bee taken downe before Midsommer next, and none other erected or vsed after that [Page 3]time. And whereas there is great abuse found to bee practised in the Markes of the Clothiers, some that make worse Cloth vsing the Markes of others that make best, or making of so slight a difference from it, as the buyer cannot easily discerne it: His Highnesse willeth and comman­deth, that euery Clothier shall haue one seuerall marke for his Cloth, and shall vse that one marke onelie for all the time of his Clothing, without altering or changing the same, and no man shall giue the same marke which another vseth, though with addition or difference or change of the colour: And where at present seuerall men vse the same marke, such of them as haue longest vsed the same shall continue the vse thereof, and the others shall betake themselues to the vse of new markes not vsed by others: And whereas diuers Statutes made before the fourth yeere of the Reigne of the late King Iames His Maiesties father of blessed memory, touching the length breadth and weight of Clothes, are repealed by a Statute made in the said fourth yeere, and therein is declared what length, breadth and weight the Clothes of seuerall Counties shall con­teine, His Maiestie commandeth that euery Searcher to each Cloth that he shal search shall affixe at either end of the Cloth a seale of lead, wherein shall bee truely and plainely expressed the length and breadth of the same Cloth measured wett out of the water after the full milling thereof, together with the iust weight thereof being fully and home dried, and the name of Baptisme and Sirname of the Searcher at large and legibly stamped, and after such seale so affixed, the same Cloth shall not bee eftsoones put into the mill, or thickned, and that before such time as the Sear­cher puts on his seale the Clothier that makes the Cloth shall set on his seale, expressing aswell the breadth, as the length and weight in manner aforesaid, and put on the word Faultie, if there be cause: And that the Searcher shall put on but two seales vpon a Cloth, whereof one to be at each end of the Cloth, as aforesaid.

And His Highnesse will and pleasure is, and he doth hereby command, that the searching and sealing of Clothes for their length, breadth and weight and sealing the word Faultie, where there is cause, shall bee now wholly done by the Clothier, Searcher and ouerseer of the Cloth, which was by the Statutes anciently done by the Clothier and Aulnager: And whereas the Lawes then made, did require vpon great penalties, that no Cloth should be folded or tacked by the workeman, nor bee offered to Sale, nor be Transported by the Merchant, before the Aulnage seale was thereunto affixed.

His Maiesties expresse will and pleasure is, that from henceforth no workeman shall presume to fold or tacke together any Cloth, That no Cloth be by any offered to Sale, nor be Transported by any Merchant or other person whatsoeuer, before the seale of the Ouerseers or Searchers be thereunto affixed, And that all White Clothes which shall not bee so sealed, wheresoeuer the same shall bee found, His Highnesse willeth that His Commissioners appointed in that behalfe, shall Arrest, and Seize, and bring the same to Triall, but no Fee shall bee taken for doing therof: And for that the Searcher and Ouerseer are at great labour and charge, And by the ancient Statutes there was two pence vpon a Cloth allowed by the Clothier to the Searcher, for Clothes searched, in any Citie, Borough or Towne Corporate, which allowance yet continu­eth in the Citie of Worcester, It is now thought fit by His Maiestie, that in regard of the farre grea­ter labour and charge imposed on the Searcher and Ouerseer, then anciently hath beene,

And His Highnesse willeth and commandeth, that the same allowance of two pence vpon the Cloth searched and Registred shall bee made by the Clothier vnto the Searcher, or Ouerseer, wheresoeuer the Cloth shall bee searched, as well within the Corporations as without: And if any Clothier dwelling out of a Citie, Borough, or Towne Corporate shall refuse to make this allowance, then his Cloth shall not bee searched nor sealed by the Searcher or Ouerseer of that place, till it bee brought to some Citie, Borough, or Towne Corporate. And His Maiestie also willeth and ordaineth that euery Searcher shall keepe a Booke, and therein cause to be written a remembrance of euery Cloth searched by him, with the name of the owner of the cloth, the con­tents and weight thereof, and the time of searching, to the end the Aulnager may be truely an­swered the duty of Aulnage and Subsidie vpon euery Cloth he also shall put on his seale to euery Cloth made within the Counties aforesaid, or any of them, But the Cloth shall not bee sealed by the Aulnager before the Clothier and Searcher, or Ouerseer, shall first haue set on their seales in forme aforesaid; neither shall the Aulnager research the Cloth sealed as aforesaid, it being prohi­bited by the Law. And whereas it is by the Statutes now in force ordained, that the word Faulty shall be stamped vpon the seale of the Clothier, Searcher, and Ouerseer, to signifie that the Cloth is wasted in the Mill or Squally, Bandy, Rowye, Holely, and the like; but the Searchers and Ouerseers vse to stampe this word Faulty to the most Clothes: yea, euen to such as haue none of those faults, whereby they hope to bee out of danger if they erre wittingly or neg­ligently in the stamping of the length, weight, or breadth: And when those clothes are offered to sale in the parts beyond the Sea, and also within the Realme, they are often refused, which hath caused sundry Merchants of Cloth to take the Seales from the Clothes to which they were affixed.

Therefore it is His Maiesties pleasure and commandement, that from hencefoorth the sayd word Faultie, shall not be stamped neither by the Clothier, nor by the Searcher or Ouerseer, for that the Cloth holds not his due content in length, breadth, or weight, but onely when it is false made, wasted in the Mill, Squally, Bandy, Rowy, Holely, or the like. And none of His Ma­iesties Subiects that shall bee possessed of any such Clothes sealed, (that shall sell the same againe on this side or beyond the Sea) shall take any Seale from the Cloth.

And His Maiestie doth also hereby will and ordaine, that all such white Worcester Clothes and others of the like making, as shall be milled in Gloucestershire, shall not bee stamped, nor reputed narrow, if they be found to be sixe Quarters and halfe a Quarter of a Yard in breadth, cleane Cloth within the Lists, as is now allowed at Worcester, and well accepted by the Forreigne Merchants that buy vp this kinde of Cloth, but that such Clothes may be freely put to Sale, Any Statute heretofore made to the contrary notwithstanding.

And for the better execution of this His Highnesse Proclamation, His Highnesse doeth hereby require and command the Iustices of Peace within the said seuerall Counties, that they doe their best endeauours, to see that as well these Ordinances, as the Lawes and Statutes (the Premisses concerning not contrary to the same) bee duely obserued and kept: Of all which His Maiestie intendeth to require a particular account, And therefore commandeth the same to be duely executed and strictly obserued by all persons, whom by their Offices or places it shall [Page]conterne, vpon such paines and penalties, as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme, or by his Maiesties Prerogatiue Royall, and such punishments in His high Court of Starre-cham­ber, or elsewhere, as can or may bee inflicted vpon contemners and violaters of His Royall plea­sure and commands, Requiring and commanding all His Maiesties Iustices, Iudges, Maiors, Sheriffes, Bailiffes, Iustices of Peace, Constables, and other head Officers, that they diligently attend the execution of His Highnesse pleasure before declared, and be aiding, helping and as­sisting to His Maiesties Commissioners assigned, and to bee assigned, to take care of the execution of this Proclamation, or the Lawes and Statutes concerning Clothing, and their deputies, and to the Searchers and Ouerseers in their seuerall places, as need shall require; Comman­ding also the sayd Commissioners that they certifie Our Attourney generall for the time being, of the Offenders, and of the qualities and natures of their Offences, whereby Our said At­tourney may proceed against them according to their demerits, as they will answere the contrary at their vtmost perill.

Giuen at Our Palace of Westminster: The sixteenth day of April, in the ninth yeere of the Reigne of our Souereigne Lord CHARLES by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.

God saue the King.